Ugli, the Fruit

Posted on January 21, 2014 //

With its lumpy peel and lopsided shape, the UGLI® is the ugly duckling of the citrus family. But don’t let appearances sway you. The ugli proves the adage: beauty is skin deep, ugly goes to the bone, or in this case, the core.

Peel back its yellow-green skin, which is soft and surprisingly easy to remove, and the ugli reveals several light pink pegs bursting with an unusual amount of sweet and slightly tangy juice and few, sometimes no seeds.

Ugli

The ugli is a cross between the Seville orange (which gives it its dimpled skin), the grapefruit (from which it derives its color), and the tangerine (from which it gets its loose skin), was developed by Jamaican agronomists.

Called ugli because of its appearance, the fruit was found growing wild near Browns Town in the parish of St. Ann about 90 years ago. A commercial variety was later developed. Ugli is registered under trademark and is exported to the US, UK, Canada, Scandinavia and some Eastern European countries.

The ugli has 45 calories, 2 grams of dietary fiber and 70% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. It can last up to 6 days unrefrigerated, and a week or more in the refrigerator.

If you’re in Jamaica during the citrus season (November/December to April/May), you should ask to try the ugli. It’s not as common as its forebears and because of that, is typically more expensive.

On the other hand, you might be lucky to meet someone who’s got a tree or two in their backyard. I hope you get to try it.

Ugli is perfect for sweet and savory recipes. I’ve used it mainly in juices and fruit salads but I’d love to try this Ugli Duckling from ugli.com.

I’ve been trying different citrus fruit lately. Yesterday I bought a bergamot for the first time and Ugli is next on my list so this was very timely!Wonderlusting recently posted..Beauty News: Checking Out Marc Jacobs Beauty

You do realize after all of these recipes I’ve been reading about for so long. That when I finally make it to Jamaica I’m going to make a list, buy the groceries, and then I want to cook a long list of them with you! I absolutely want to try this one, Marcia! 🙂Mike recently posted..What Do Vegan Zombies Say?

Well, what do you know! The ugli even has it’s own website. 🙂 It is pretty strange-looking and I’ve heard of it before, but not sure if I’ve ever had it or not. It would be nice to pick one right off a tree in Jamaica.Cathy Sweeney recently posted..A Gem for All Seasons: The Four Seasons Prague

What an interesting fruit and name. I can’t believe it has its own website 🙂 I’ve never heard of it before and I’m not quite sure I’ve seen it. It sounds great and one I’d like to try especially freshly picked. I will be on the lookout for it now.Mary {The World Is A Book} recently posted..Touring Biosphere 2: Where Science Lives

It is quite interesting, Mary. I was surprised to find that out when I did the research — especially since it grows wild but I guess it’s possible to trademark anything. It’s quite delicious and very juicy, my mouth is watering just thinking about it now.

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Marcia Mayne travels a world full of books, music, art, fun people and great food. She raves about them constantly. Currently, she is journeying through Jamaica, her home country, to discover the places she missed. Read More…